Thousands gather at Fatah rally in Gaza

World News – Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah movement rallied in Hamas-ruled Gaza on Friday in a climax to the first celebrations the party has been able to hold in the territory since 2007, a spokesman said.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are currently taking part in the public festivities,” Fatah Gaza spokesman Fayez Abou Eita told AFP shortly before Abbas was due to address the crowd by video link from his West Bank headquarters.

Demonstrators waved Palestinian and Fatah flags, and carried pictures of Abbas at the rally which was organised with the blessing of Hamas as part of reconciliation efforts, an AFP correspondent reported. (AFP)